


Rocks and Rubble

by vonherder



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Allusions to PTSD, Angst and Humor, M/M, Pre-Slash, a little guilt, a monumentally bad idea, don't unexpectedly wake a spy, mentions of awful things, mentions of bystander death, not entirely disastrous, son just don't, that also never get addressed, that doesn't have disastrous consequences, though it is never said outright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-25
Updated: 2013-06-25
Packaged: 2017-12-16 03:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/857129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonherder/pseuds/vonherder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belatedly, he realized just where it was that he had gone wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rocks and Rubble

**Author's Note:**

> So, to all waiting for the next instalment of something else, I am so sorry! This is literally all that I have to offer. I killed my computer and lost _everything_. So, at the bottom is a small story and apology.
> 
> This came from a kink meme prompt I read before the computer kerfuffle about Bruce/Fury from a round or two back. I think. This isn't a fill for it—I don't think it is, in any case. I haven't been able to find the prompt again to check—but the pairing stuck and it's been sitting in my head for forever. 
> 
> (Also, this seems to have turned into its own little universe, just not it my head. Like.. I know there is way more story to this, I just don't have any more than a few stray details about what that all is.. And even this, I think, comes way at the near end of said story.. I'm just going to not touch this universe? If anyone else has an idea about what happened before this, or what will happen after, then have at it. Seriously. ~~Some~~ All of this is probably OOC, but I'm just going to assume that character development happened before I ever started writing this.. But, really. If anyone has some ideas, we can confer about the bits that I know, I just don't want this universe to continue by my hand. Know what I mean?)
> 
> (Also, I feel like I might soon go back and edit this a bit. Soon.)
> 
> EDIT: I found the prompt! Here it is: http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/15292.html?thread=33162940#t33162940

Bruce entered the room as quietly as he could manage, all the while watching the steady rise and fall of Nick's chest. It was a comforting sight, given all that he had seen that day. 

Nick shifted slightly, turning further into the moonlight that trickled in through the slit in the curtains. Even in the dim light, Bruce could see the slight dusting of ash smeared across the man's cheek. Unbidden, the memory of Nick standing amongst the rubble, haggard and dirty, a bruised and bleeding Stark slumped against his side, flitted through Bruce's mind. He remembered the blood down Nick's cheek and his eye patch torn away. He remembered the dead strewn about street. 

Bruce winced and swallowed against the bile rising in his throat. He slowly shifted onto the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping agent. On top of everything else, that was just what he needed. Nick only twitched, briefly, before he settled back into his pillow.

The day had been long and the tower had been destroyed, all because of him. Not that anyone would allow him to say so; over the past months, Stark had taken to flicking him on the nose each time that he thought Bruce looked as if he were contemplating running or surrender. 

All the same, the attack had been designed to trigger him, the Other Guy. All of it had been meant to draw him out and distract him, and, if it hadn't been for Nick and Coulson, they would have succeeded. 

If it hadn't been for those pesky kids...

Bruce shook his head and smiled ruefully. The move had probably saved lives, more lives than Bruce really wanted to imagine. 

His eyes travelled once more to the smudged across Nick's cheek. He remembered, even as they loaded him into the ambulance, wanting to wipe the streak from the agent's skin. But then Pepper had been at his side to distract him and the sedatives were still flowing through him, and it had been no wonder that he'd not managed to remember until well after they had arrived at SHIELD HQ. Even during the debriefing, while everyone seemed intent on trying not to look at the milky white of Nick's uncovered eye, Bruce had wanted nothing more than to brush the dust away. 

For one brief moment, Bruce allowed himself that one small thing, to unthinkingly reach out and gently touch Nick's cheek. To _finally_ reach out and wipe that dust away like he had spent the entire day waiting, _wanting_ to do. 

It was nothing more than a split second, really. Just enough time for him to feel the warmth of the other man's skin against his fingertips before Nick was on him and over him. In a blink, Bruce had been flung onto his back by an iron grip on his wrist and a heavy, unyielding pressure pressing down on his throat. 

Bruce managed a tiny gasp, only for the weight press down harder and force the breath from him. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and he knew he needed to keep calm. Bruce could already feel and hear him stirring, ready to take over.

Belatedly, he realized just where it was that he had gone wrong. 

Bruce willed himself to still in the man's grip, willed the hammering his his chest to slow and the roaring beneath his skin to go back to sleep. He raised his free hand to Nick's wrist, slow and gentle, and carefully dragged his thumb across the back of Nick's hand.

“P-please,” he managed, nothing more than a breathless whisper. As the air became scarce, the green boiled faster and hotter beneath his skin. Bruce's eyes fluttered shut as he tried his damnedest to suck in a breath. “Nick,” he gasped out, stroking a shaking hand up the other's tense forearm, “ _please_.”

He was nearly boiling over.

He opened his eyes again, searching Nick's face. Awareness began to trickle over his features. He tugged lightly at Nick's wrist and used his last bit of breath to gasp out another desperate, “ _Please_.”

The hand against his throat tore away, the body above him along with it, and Bruce surged up with a deep, choking gasp. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Nick backing toward the door, but could do nothing to stop him as Bruce tried to gasp for breaths through the rattling coughs.

By the time he was able to stand and follow, Bruce had to rush to catch up to the retreating man. He wrapped his arms tight around Nick's waist and tried to tug him back, only to be dragged along behind. “Stop! I'm sorry,” he said, voice hoarse. “I didn't think, Nick.”

“Let go of me, Banner,” he said, gruffly.

“Come back to bed.”

Nick only huffed bitterly in answer and kept walking forward, footsteps heavy and loud.

Bruce stumbled and briefly let go of him, running to force his way in front of the man. He planted his hands on Nick's chest, with every intention of slowing him, only for his socks to slide on the slick wood floors. Nick's pace never once slowed, unhindered by the weight of Bruce being pushed along in front of him.

Any other time, Bruce might have laughed. 

“Are you done yet?” Nick asked, still striding toward the door.

Bruce didn't get the chance to answer, if only because his feet decided on that moment to slip out from under him and leave him sprawled across the cool floor. Or, rather, he might have landed that way, if not for the warm, firm hands around his arms keeping him steady. 

“Are you all right?” Nick asked, brows knit in concern, as he slowly pulled Bruce back to his feet.

“I am fine,” Bruce said as he levelled a look at Nick. “Are _you_ okay?”

Nick's features tightened and shuttered closed. He all but shoved Bruce out of the way and headed to toward the door, “Go back to sleep, Banner.”

“Oh, don't you _dare_ 'Banner' me,” Bruce ground out. “And get back here. You aren't going anywhere in your damn boxers.” Nick didn't look down at himself, but he did slow to a stop and Bruce counted that a victory. “Will you just come back to bed? You can be pissed off all you want in the morning.”

“I'm not not angry,” Nick growled.

“You certainly sound that way,” Bruce said, quietly, and stepped forward. 

“I am _not_ angry.”

Bruce frowned as he came to a stop just behind him, “Are you worried, then? That it will happened again?”

Nick didn't answer, just curled his hands into tight fists.

“You won't hurt me, Nick.”

The man spun on him, “Ex _cuse_ me?! Did you hit your head, Banner? Did you somehow miss what the hell just happened in there? I _already_ hurt you. And, I'll be damned if I do so again.”

“No, what you did was react. I fucked up, you just—”

“And then there's _that_. What in the hell were you even doing in my bed to begin with?” Nick demanded, teeth barred. “I distinctly remember leaving you on the couch.”

“Oh, please! What do you think I was doing?” Bruce shook his head with a huff and tried to stay calm, “I can't believe that I'm actually going to say this out loud, but _Tony Stark_ is more subtle than _you_.”

Nick snapped his mouth shut and turned his gaze away, the muscles in his jaw jumping as he ground his teeth.

Bruce shuffled a bit closer and poked Nick in the chest for emphasis, “You didn't hurt me.”

“Banner—”

“No, Nick. Listen to me, you did not hurt me. You scared me a little, I will admit. But you didn't hurt me. I promise you that.”

Nick's eye slanted toward him for a moment, studying him. 

“Come back to bed,” Bruce said, finally reaching up to wipe at the smudge on Nick's cheek. “Trust me, okay? You won't hurt me. You couldn't if you wanted to.”

Nick sagged with a heavy sigh and turned his face a little bit further into Bruce's gentle touch, “You're not allowed to use my words against me, you stubborn git.”

Bruce smiled and continued to run his thumb over Nick's cheek, “Now, if you are quite finished, I would like to go to bed. Okay?”

Nick gave him a searching look, “Are you absolutely certain that you're alright?”

Bruce nodded and offered the man a small smile, “I am fine. Nothing to worry about.”

If anything Nicked looked even more troubled by the statement, but only nodded and turned to lead the way back to the bedroom.

As they walked, Bruce watched Nick's back steadily grow more tense. Maybe it was apprehension, maybe something closer to fear. He could hardly blame the man, but that didn't stop him from following right along anyway. It would be worth it, he knew. 

He watched Nick crawl beneath the covers and lie down on his back, stiff and strained, eye anywhere and everywhere but on Bruce.

He smiled, soft and warm and followed, slipping beneath the covers and tucking himself beneath Nick's arm. Bruce pressed a kiss to his chest and then smoothed his cheek against the spot with a soft hum. “We're okay,” he said, as quiet as he could manage. He slung his arm across Nick's hips and tangled their legs and whispered one more time, “We're okay.”

A warm hand settled against the small of his back, heavy and firm, pressing him forward and flush against Nick's side. 

“Okay,” was all that Nick whispered in return, as he slowly allowed himself to relax. 

Bruce tightened his hold and snuggled closer still, waiting for sleep to take them.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything lately because, up until Friday, I was using a borrowed computer because I killed mine, the hard drive and all my files along with it.. On top of that I need surgery on my wisdom teeth and a new car (because I kind of ate a tree with it during a bad storm). Which means I need money, which means I am working all of the hours and all of the jobs that I can until I can pay for everything. As you can tell, the new computer that I have here was the priority purchase, so I can at least try piecing together the story notes that I actually wrote down. 
> 
> Anyway. That's that. Sorry to everyone who has been waiting, you'll have to wait a little longer. Which sucks. I basically had _At least then I could be bitter_ complete and it is now all gone. Go me. 
> 
> That's what has been happening in my life. How are you all?


End file.
